The Book of Me, Written By You - Prompt 1: Who Are You?

The Book of Me, Written By You
Prompt 1: Who Are You? 

"The Book of Me, Written By You" is a GeneaBloggers project created by Julie Goucher of the Anglers Rest blog. The concept: a series of blogging and writing prompts that help family historians capture their own memories and write about themselves.

Ask yourself 20 times "Who are you?" Each time you should give yourself a different answer. May have more than 20.

Retired
Husband
Father
Grandfather
Uncle
Cousin
Reader
Writer
Blogger
Author
Creator
Family historian
Professor Emeritus
Earned PhD
Resident of community
Voter
Friend
Neighbor
Sports fan
Alumni
Photographer

My comments: I was careful not to look at details of others before I started writing them down. Wonder what I forgot? Have you tried it?

Families are Forever!

75 Years Ago This Week - August 31, 1938

75 Years Ago This Week - August 31, 1938

 

75 Years Ago This Week posts began March 1, 1938 - my mother and father were preparing to get married later in the month. I'm continuing this meme, from time to time, as issues warrant.

Over in The KINNICK Project blog this week we posted a series of daily entries regarding Mom and Dad's trip to the Iowa State Fair - 75 years ago this week, starting here at they prepared for the trip.

I was surprised to see that they took and stayed in a tent on the camping grounds adjacent to the fairgrounds proper.

On August 27th, they visited the livestock pavilion and ate at "a stand."

August 28th was the auto races in the afternoon; they left the fair and attended a movie; before driving home - and seeing friends who had also been to the fair.

I posted one more day, August 29th, just because it was a funny entry…


Families are forever!  ;-)

Fiction Friday - Post 4 - Point of View

Fiction Friday - Post 4 - Point of View

Author Sue Grafton   - Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

In Post 3 we talked about Character - and Character Development. This is a task you can work on before you start writing a story. Another key element that must be considered before starting to write is Point of View.

Books have been written on Point of View, and it is a major topic of every writing workshop, seminar and course on writing. So, I want to comment on my experiences, positive and not so positive, rather than preach or teach here.

Perhaps the easiest point of view to recognize is "first-person narrative" where the story is told by a narrator who is also a character within the story. The narrator reveals the plot by referring to this viewpoint character as "I." I used this with Penny Nixon telling the story in my "Murder by the Homeplace." This point of view has been used in all the alphabet books of Sue Grafton (pictured above), one of my favorite authors with her lead character, Kinsey Millhone. It is commonly used in detective and private investigator stories, of course.

Third-person narrative provides the most flexibility to the author and thus is the most commonly used narrative mode in literature. In this mode, the narrator is not a character in the story, only the entity sharing the story being told. I used this Point of View in "The Homeplace Revisited" and in the forthcoming "Christmas at the Homplace." An interesting variation available is the third-person limited (versus omniscient) narrative where the story is told as 'seen by' one character at a time. The last couple of weeks I've been reading "Eighteen Acres" and "It's Classified" by Nicolle Wallace where each chapter alternates among three women characters.

This reading reminded me that I wrote in this manner, alternating chapters among six characters in my first novel, "Back to the Homeplace," and it was surprisingly successful. It worked well. While it is more difficult to write, I do believe it forces the author to plan the narrative much more precisely - which no doubt creates a better novel.

So, seriously consider which Point of View you will use, as you share your next story. Remember, there are other choices beyond the ones mentioned here. But, do choose carefully for a better result. That is - a better story.



Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Smith Men and Women - 24 Aug 1941

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday

Smith Men and Women

24 Aug 1941

A 1941 Smith family gathering at the Smith 'Homeplace' - occasion was visit from Nebraska of Charles and Elsie (Smith) Grapes. She was sister of William Emanuel Smith, my grandfather (he had died a couple of years before). Another sister, Lena (Smith) Brown, who lived in nearby Scranton, Iowa, was there as well.

Women: Maxine holding daughter, Judy, Elsie, Lena, Eileen (my Mom), LVene, Irene, Betty (Bethene).

Men: Orrin Hilgenberg (Maxine), me (little Billie, age 2+) and my Dad, Leverne (better known as Pete), Charles Grapes, Willard (still single then), Verle Thomas (LVene).

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Hometown Monday - 100 Years Ago This Week - Lem Williams News

Hometown Monday

100 Years Ago This Week

Lem Williams News

Last Friday, I posted a bonus piece from my home town newspaper from 100 Years Ago this week about my great-great uncle Lem Williams. His was a frequent name in the paper of the time because of the various blacksmithing, concrete, construction, ice man, and other projects he undertook. Many buildings that still exist had his hand somewhere in their construction. Here is another, today.

100 Years Ago in the Coon Rapids Enterprise, August 8, 1913:

"Lem Williams has contracted to build the new dam for the flour mill and the work will require several weeks. There will be more than a thousand loads of rock and cement used. The water is now
being pumped from the old dam by a rotary pump, preparatory to building the new. This is a new kind of work for Lem and a pretty big job but he will no doubt take care of it all right."

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Fiction Friday - Post 3 - Character Development 1

Fiction Friday - Post 3

Character Development 1

From: Haymaking. Trades & occupations. Plate 9. Lithograph by L. Prang & Co., 1874.
Reproduction number: LC-USZ62-676
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/picamer/paFarm.html [retrieved 21 Aug 2013]

Recognize any of these farmers?

As I said, last time, I find that I start my fiction writing based on family history research with place. Next, for me, however, is Character - and I love Character Development. This is where I feel I most effectively use my family history research in writing fiction.

For my first novel, "Back to the Homeplace," I really appreciated the number of reviews that mentioned my character development in a positive light. Very satisfying.

One of the techniques of character development I'd like to discuss today is the concept of what I call 'composite characters.' A writer can only have a limited number of 'main' characters in any given story that are 'fully' developed. I found that using characteristics of several similar folks from my family history research combined into one 'composite' character worked very well.

A recommended tool I have adopted, or at least tried to, in character development is the Profile. Most writers use some variation of this tool which I'll describe in more detail in later posts. I am still working to make it more effective for me - so recognize I'm talking about a 'work in progress.' Have you used this tool? How does it work for you?

The Profile is a single sheet, or file, that tells everything 'you know' about each of your main characters. Properly prepared and used, the Profile has much more detail than ever appears, specifically, in your writing. This includes not only physical descriptions, but traits, nuances, 'likes and dislikes,' etc. The Profile should be a major assist to the writer to know how the character will respond to any given situation as well as how others are going to react to actions by the character. This process is never sufficiently complete, in my view. What do you think? Do you see this as a useful tool?

Finally, for today, think about some distinctive characteristics of family members, or friends or neighbors, that you would like to incorporate into a main character you would like to use in a story you want to tell. Write down a list of these characteristics. Are you thinking about physical characteristics or a 'manner of behavior?' You probably don't want to share this, but, if you do, I'd love to see/hear some of the results you get on a first pass.

It is sometimes hard to remember all these things as you write. Character development traits are one thing that can often be added in later editing of your work. I hope these ideas are as useful to you as they have been to me.

Order the Kindle Edition, here, now:



Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Michael and Nellie Smith new photo to me

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday

Michael and Nellie Smith new photo to me

Thanks to Will Grapes, another Nebraska Smith cousin, for sharing this particular image of of Michael (Schmitt) and Margaret (Nellie) (Soderstrom) Smith. I don't think I've seen this one, of both of them, at this stage in their lives. [My paternal Great-Grandparents]

We have a question as to whether the costumes are really them, or, are props from the photo studio. What do you think? His head doesn't seem to fit his collar very well... Maybe he was just very uncomfortable... I certainly would have been!

Families are Forever! ;-)